Automobile hood clamp



.1 uHy 24, 1923' R. G. MOORE AUTOMOBILE HOOD CLAMP Filed April 4., 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

July 24, V.1923.

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ONNECTICUT, ASSEGNIR, T0 THE BASSECK CMLPANY, 0F BRIDGEPGRT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPURTIOW 0l? CQNNEGTECUT.

AUTOMOBILE Application led April t,

T 0 all whom i; may concern.

Bs It known that I, RAYMOND G. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Bridgeport, county of F airfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Hood Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

The application relates to improvements in automobile hood clamps, and particularly to hood clamps of the character in which a barrel is employed in which operates a spring-pressed plunger.

In such constructions a clamping member referred to as a hold-down clamp is einployed, adapted to extend over a bracket on the automobile hood which is to be clamped down upon one of the frame members of the automobile.

In some types of construction, the plunger is pivoted or otherwise secured to the automobile frame member at its lower end, this plunger being pressed upwardly by a spring within the barrel, while the barrel together with the hold-down clamp carried thereby is pressed downwardly by the spring so as to firmly engage the bracket carried by the hood.

The present invention is devised to .provide novel features of construction in devices of the character referred to.

in accordance with the invention, a barrel is provided having an integral transverse portion or loop covering its upper end, with transverse openings in the opposite walls of the barrel immediately below this top portion to provide a channel, within which is mounted and secured a metal strap, which, in the preferred form of the invention, is intended to serve both as a hold-down clamp and as a handle member.

With such a construction the barrel may be formed of sheet metal pressed to shape to provide the transverse loop portion referred to at its upper end, the transverse strap forming the hold-down clamp being inserted through the openings beneath the top portion, which openings are formed by the manner in which the construction is pressed to shape, the strap being firmly held in position by having the loop or transverse top portion of the barrel pressed firmly about the same.

Another feature of the invention relates to the attachment to the lower end of the HOOD CLE'L'IP.

barrel of a bracket or attached member which will serve to hold a side-engagement clamp` and also to provide a bottom closure for the barrel and bearing member for the plunger which extends through the lower end of the barrel. The object of the invention, broadly speaking, is accordingly to provide a comparatively inexpensive, durable and eiioient device ofthe character referred to, which may be manufactured and assembled simply and economically.

Other objects of the invention relate to the provision of improved details of con 1922. Serial Fie. 549,463.

struction and combinations of elements, all

of which will be more fully set forth in the following specification.

ln order that the invention may be clearly understood, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and illustrating one embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a clamping device embodying the invention,

shown in side elevation, applied to a hood mounted on an automobile frame member, the hood and frame member being shown in vertical section;

Figure 2 is a similar view, the clamping device, however, being shown in vertical section;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 are horizontal sections taken respectively on line 4L-4 and line -5-5 of Figure l, viewed in the direction of the arrows indicated adjacent to lines dr-Li and 5-5, respectively Figure 6 is a plan view of a metal blank from which the barrel shown in Figures l to 5 may be formed;

Figures 7 and 8 are views showing the blank at stages in the formation thereof;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the blank from which the bottom bracket of the construc-A tion is formed;

Figure l0 is a view of the same bracket pressed to shape.

Referring to the drawings, the barrel l is preferably formed from a strip of sheet metal, indicated in Figure 6 as l, this strip having parallel sides with small lugs or ears 2, 2, extending from the opposite ends thereof at points intermediate the side edges.

ln the formation of the barrel, the end portions 3, 3 of the blank are first pressed into semi-cylindrical shape, as is indicated in Figure 7, the central or intermediate portion ofthe blank shown at 4 being left flat as shown. This intermediate portion ltwill, accordingly, be of the same width 'as the ori nal blank 1.

he strip is then bent along the lines 5, 5, `which may 'from the planes at which the cylindrical be located somewhat inwardly portions 3, 3, join the intermediate portion 4, as indicated. The side edges 6 ofthe semicylindrical portions 3 will, accordingly, be brought into parallel relation with each other and fairly close together, as is shown in Figure'8. Also, by this operation, the intermediate portion fi of the strip is formed into a transverse loop having an outer or top portion 4f and lower transverse portions 42, which are more or less parallel to the top portion d', and which extend upwardly and outwardly from the semi-cylindrical portions 3.

As is apparent, the blank is now n rovided with a transverse channel indicate at 7 in Figure 8, extending between the top portion L1 of the transverse loop and the bottoni porn tions L12 of the loop, which constitute dangers extending outwardly :troni the upper edges oi' the semi-cylindrical-portions 3 of the construction. A. metal strip or strap 8 may now be extended through the channel 7 thus provided and secured iiriniy in position by pressing the top portion ai of the transverse loop down against the upper surface oit strap d and by pressing ,the bottoni flanges 12 firmly against the under surface and side edges of strap 8.

ribis operation :may readily i in a suitable press, which wili the saine time bring the side edges 6 of seinicyiin drical portions 3 together to close the barrei. Y

The upper surface of strap fi may have a seating recess 3 formed across its end, as is indicated in Figure 2, in which the top portion d of the 'transverse ioop will seat.,

'Ehe strap 8 may suitably be metal casting and sufficiently rigid 'to withstand the usage to which itis subjected. @ne end por tion oi the same may be bent downwardly, as is indicated at 10, to forno a yhold-down clamp, while the other end portion of the strap may be shaped any desired configura be carried out tion to form a handle portion 11.

The barrel so constructed will be open at'` its lower end. rlhis end is preferably closed by a bracket which may be formed of the metal strip indicated at' 12 in Figure 9. This strip is pressed to shape to provide a short annular dange 13 at one end thereof, the metal of the circular portion 111 within this dangebeing provided with a pair of oppositely disposed slits 15.

The portion 12 of this strip extending iaterally from the" annular flange 13 is then preferably pressed into the shape indicated in Figures 1, 2 and '10; that is, the metal of the stri may be pressed horizontally outwards rom one side of the annular iange 13, as is shown at 16. From horizontal dan e 16 the metal is bent to extend vertic y upwards, as is shown at 17, and then again horizontall to provide a top flange 18 parallel to the ottoni lian' e 16.

The annular iange 13 of t 's bracket may be fitted around and may be slipped over the lower end of barrel 1 and secured thereto very simply by extending the ears 2, 2, at the ends of the semi-cylindrical portions 3 of the barrel through the slits 15 in the bottom portion 14 of the bracket and bending these ears over, as is shown in Figure 3. The bottom horizontal dange 16 will then entend horizontally outwards from the barrel, and

the top ilange 18 will` extend horizontally inwardly into Contact with the barrel, the end of Harige 18 being curved, as is shown at 19 in Figure 9, so as to bear against the cylindrical surface of the barrel.

The vertical dange 17 of the barrel is preierably provided with outwardly curving side edges, as is indicated at 17 in Figure 9. side-engaging clamping member 20, oi hard rubber or other suitable material, may be dimly secured against verticai yflange 17 as by means of the countersunk set-screw shown at 21.

rihe completely assembled device is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. As there shown, the plunger 22 is slidably mounted within trie barrel and entends out through the open ing 23 in the bottoni portion 1a or" bracket ln'ieniber 12n Plonger 22 is provided with a head or enlargement 211 at its upper and and a coiled spring 25 is positioned within the barrel about the plunger with its lower end bearing upon the bottoni portion 111 oi the bottom closure and its'upper end bearing against the end surface of the enlargement 2e. Y

iinen' the device is put in use, the lower end oiz plunger 22 is secured in Sonie manner to the raine member 26 of the automobile.

l have illustrated a construction in which a bracket 27 is secured to frame nieniber 28, this bracket having a top portion 28 which slants upwardly towards the hood, indicated at 29. This top portion 28 has a slot 30 extending therethrou h in the direction ci the hood, and the p unger 22 is provided with an enlargement or transverse pin 31 at or adjacent its lower end, which is adapted to bear against the under surface oi top portion 28 of bracket 27 on opposite sidesl of slot 30.

When the hood is to be clamped in position by the use of this device, barrel 1 is raised by means of the handle portion 1lA suiiicien-tly to enable the hold-down clamp portion 10 of strap 8 to slip over the bracket 32 secured to hood 29. Spring 25 will then press downwardl on the bottom closureyl/t of the barrel an upwardly on plunger 22. Pin or enlargement 31 at the bottom of the plunger, resting in contact with the inclined lower surface of the top portion of bracket 27, will accordin ly slide upwardly and inwardly towards i e hood until the side clamp 20 rests rmly against the side surface of the hood, pressing the lower end portion of the latter iirml against the vertical ange 33 formed on drame member 26.

lt will be 1.1i od that the invention is not limited strictly to the arrangements and details of construction which have been particularly described; and also that the various forms of construction described need not necessarily be used to ther.

'lhe scope of the invention is indicated by the accompanyin claims:

l. ln an automobi e hood clamp, the combination of a barrel having a transverse top portion integral therewith, having upper and lower wal` 1s with a channel between the me and a transverse metal strap eX- tending through said channel and secured thereon.

2. lin an automobile hood clamp, the combination of a barrel formed to provide an end closure portion with a transverse open-I ing through the wall immediately below said closure portion, and a strip extending through said opening and transversely from said barrel, the metal of said barrel about said openingbeing pressed rmly against said strip to hold the latter and close said opening therewith.

3. ln an automobile hood clamp, the combination of a hollow cylinder oi sheet metal having one end formed into a transverse loop across the top ,of the cylindrical portion and spaced therefrom, to provide aligned transverse openings between said loop and opposite sides of the end of the cylindrical portion, and a strap extending through said openings and lling the same, the metal ot said loop bein pressed d'rmly against said strap to hold t e same in position.

4l, lln an automobile' hoo clamp, the combination of a hollow cylinder oli sheet metal having one end formed into a transverse loop across the top of the cylindrical portion and apaced therefrom, to provide aligned transverse openings between said loop and opposite sides of the end of the cylindrical portion, and a strap extending through said openings and filling the same, the metal of said loop being pressed rmly against said strap to hold the same in position, said strap having one end portion bent downwardly to form a hold-down clamp and the opposite end/ portion shaped to form a handle.

5. ln an automobile hood clamp, the combination of a barrel formed of a sheet metal strip, pressed to shape to provide hali cylinders with their edges adjacent to each other and with a loop portion extending across and spaced from said halt cylinders, the latter bein formed from the end portions of the strip and said loop portion from the intermediate portions et the strip, and a metal strap extending transversely through the openings provided between said hall= cylinders and loop portion, the latter being pressed down on said strap to hold the latter in position.

t. ln an automobile hood clamp, the oombination of a barrel member having an open lower end and a member having a cap portion closing said end and an extension at one side of the barrel member, bent laterally and then upwardly and then again inwardly to press against. the barrel member, wardly bent portion carrying a pad as a side engagin clamp member.

ln an automo ile hood clamp, the combination or a barrel member having downwardly extending ears at im lower end, and a member having a danged cap portion positioned against and about said lower end and provided with openings through which saidears entend, said eers being bent over to hold the same in place, said second named member having an upwardly bent dange at one side of said barrel member, adapted to serve as a side engaging clamp mber.

ln testony wheieoln l have signed my name to this specication. i

RAYMQND (Gi. MURE,

serving lthe up- 

